To add temperature taking at a certain heat index is an excellent
suggestion. Although it's unlikely this will be added as a "rule," it may
be incorporated by certain vets. But most importantly, there's nothing to
stop all of us riders from taking our horse's temps at each VC. (As
Linda--fanatically--and I (less fanatically) do already....)
I'm also a big believer in doing CRIs--at least in the later VCs on a 100
or any horse that seems marginal. It seems that and a high temperature are
the only true "predictors" of metabolic failure we have at this point, when all
other parameters still look ok.
After reading the article - thanks for the heads up that it was there
Laura, I note that 3 of the deaths fall into the "stuff happens"
catagory. Lost in the forest, a fall and eating blister beetles could
happen anywhere at anytime. So, we really have 8 deaths to deal with as
"Endurance related".
2
were new or newish riders on new horses - the education outreach should help
here and it will be interesting to see if this statistic declines in following
years
the 3 100 mile horses that died were all ridden by riders with
experience and there is no discernible connecting thread. It seems that
we would be well served to fund research that addresses stress in competing
horses to see if we can identify factors that would lead us to pull at risk
animals before they deteriorate. The colic cases are all over the map
and it will take several years of collecting this kind of data to see if there
is any set of circumstances that identifies higher risk
factors.
A
thought regarding the heat stroke horse might be to advise that temperature be
added to the vet check parameters when the temperature or heat index exceeds
some threshold.
The
Paso death is questionable as a "ride death" unless there are more
circumstances to tie the high pulse at the ride to the subsequent tie up and
laminitis.
Laura, congratulations to the committee on putting together the
statistics and publishing them. Fact rather than rumor is the first
requirement for forward progress.
Alison Farrin
-----Original Message----- From: Laura Hayes
[mailto:mark@xxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Friday, February 20, 2004 11:20
AM To: Ridecamp Subject: [RC] Welfare Committee
Data
Interestingly, after all the hullabaloo a year
ago about AERC not addressing, not tracking and not caring about horse
deaths, the 'less than a year old' welfare committee has published a chart
of horse deaths in 2003 and there has been two whole posts regarding
the information.
What gives? Are there no thoughts
regarding the information? Those who were sure it was seasoned riders
killing horses, those who were sure it was new riders, and those who were
just sure, are all silent now? Did I miss something?
Also published in EN this month (on line if you
haven't gotten it yet) is a case study of the Adios PAC death. Any
comments? The committee has worked hard and spent many hours....anyone
out there care to comment???
